Artery clamp

ABSTRACT

An artery clamp useful in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and other vascular disorders of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,859 and which includes a yoke member having limbs thereof in releasable engagement with a plate, a pressure plate mounted for reciprocation between and orthogonal to the limbs of the yoke member, with the improvement herein involving the flaring of the terminal portions of the limbs of the yoke to facilitate assembly thereof with the plate as well as the inclusion of flanges on the pressure plate to prevent rotation thereof relative to the yoke member.

United States Patent [1 1 Frewer 1451 July 23, 1974 ARTERY CLAMP [76]Inventor: Werner Frewer, Rt. 1, Box No.

353-13, Earlysville, Va. 22936 [22] Filed: Jan. 26, 1973 21 Appl. No.:327,111 w [52] U.S. CL. 128/346, 128/326 [51] Int. Cl....- A6lb 17/12[58] Field of Search l28/346, 326, 321, 322,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,63 l ,859 -l/l972Crutchfield 128/346 Primary Examiner Dalton L. Truluck Attorney, Agent,or Firm-Edwin E. Greigg [5 7 ABSTRACT An artery clamp useful in thetreatment of intracranial aneurysms and other vascular disorders of thetype described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,859 and which includes a yokemember having limbs thereof in releasable engagement with a plate, apressure plate mounted for reciprocation between and orthogonal to thelimbs of the yoke member, with the improvement herein involving theflaring of the terminal portions of the limbs of the yoke to facilitateassembly thereof with the plate as well as the inclusion of flanges onthe pressure plate to prevent rotation thereof relative to the yokemember.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1v ARTERY CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE- INVENTIONThis invention relates to further improvements in artery clamps usefulin the treatment'of intra-cranial aneurysms and more particularly to aconcept that will facilitate the use by surgeons of the instrumentpatented by William Gayle Crutchfield on Jan. 4, I972, U.S. Pat. No.3,631,859.

It is recognized that this Crutchfield' patented invention is definitelya step forward in the art relating to instruments necessary to a propertreatment of intracranial vascular disorders. However, use of anyinstrument frequently reveals that it needs improving upon and it is forthis reason that this concept was born.

Heretofore surgeons have found it to be awkward to try to assemble thesupport plate with the perforations in the yoke member by reason of thepressure plate rotating freely in juxtaposed retracted position relativeto driver 17 is now in registry with the bifurcated portion the supportplate and thereby interfering with the projections on the support platefromgaining quick access to the perforations in the yoke limbs.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly the principal object ofthis invention is to facilitate assembly of a yoke member, that has beenplaced around an exposed artery, with a support plate that is associatedwith a control assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide for easy alignment of thelegs carried by the clamping plate with BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the controlassembly accordingto the prior art with a stabbing cap mounted thereon in place of theclamp assembly;

FIG. 2 is a view of the control assembly in partial section with thestabbing cap removed and the clamp assembly according to the presentinvention shown spaced therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the parts of the clamp assembly prior toassembly and preparatory for attachment to the control assembly;

FIG. 4 shows the clamp assembly with theend of the control assemblylatched thereto; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the artery clamp with clamp assembly andthe control assembly in operative association.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to FIG. 1 there is shown in this viewthe control assembly 10 to the end of which is secured the stabbingpoint 11 this being necessary as explained earher in the Crutchfieldpatent togain access through the flesh of the patient adjacent to theincision and so that the surgeon can align the control assembly with andattach the yoke member thereto. As soon as the device 18 that is carriedat the end of the threaded stem 19 the opposite end of which passesthrough the supporting plate 20 and is affixed to the pressure plate 21.It will be readily understood at this point, particularly from a studyof the drawings in the Crutchfield disclosure that since thescrewdriveris in contact with the threaded stem the pressure plate 21 is free torevolve thus making it difficult to assemble the perforated limbs of theyoke 22 with the support plate.

The difficulties experienced in the use of the Crutchfield assembly havebeen overcome by the improvements that'will now be described.

Reference is made at this time to the construction of the clampingassembly as believed best shown in FIGS.

.3, 3a, 4 and 5 of the issued patent to Crutchfield with the referencenumerals identified in these figures being utilized. It will be apparentto one skilled in the art that assumingthe yoke has been positionedabout the artery to be treated and that the control assembly hasbeeninserted through the flesh and the stabbing point removed the surgeonmust now assemble the two elements in order to have an operative devicecapable of applying pressure to the artery.

Itis also understood, of course, that since the yoke is held by someinstrument such as forceps around the artery by one hand of the surgeonthe control assembly must be maneuvered into position by the other handso that the protuberances on the support plate 10 can be inserted in theperforations in the limbs of the yoke 12.

It is also believed well understood from the drawing and description inCrutchfields patent that the screwdriver 16 is in engagement with thebifurcated threaded stem with the opposite end thereof extending throughthe support plate 10 and secured to the pressure plate 14 and thus isfree to rotate in front of the support plate. As a result the surgeonhas considerable difficulty in manipulating the control assembly andsecuring the protuberances on the support plate with the limbs of theyoke 22 by reason of the interference of the pressure plate whichblocks'access of the perforated limbs to the projections on thesupporting plate.

sembly of the control assembly with the above portions of the clampassembly is the inclusion of flared terminal portions 26 26 adjacent tothe extremity of the limbs of the yoke 22. It will be readily understoodthat in Crutchfields construction at least one perforation of the limbof the yoke has to be placed on a protuberance which offstands above thesurface of the support plate and then the unattached other limb of theyoke has to be bent outwardly by the surgeons forceps until thatperforated limb can perceive the other protuberance on the supportplate,

In this improvement by providing the slot or small perforation in theflat wall of the limbs of the yoke and of the flared portions in theparallel extent of each of the limbs thereof the control assembly can beeasily guided between the flared limbs so that the limbs are graduallybent away from one another simultaneously and the protuberance canengage in the perforations in the limbs of the yoke.

What is claimed is: v

1. In an instrument for use in the treatment of intracranial aneurysmsand other vascular disorders including (a) a substantially U-shaped yokemember having a pair of parallel laterally spaced apart limbs connectedat one of their adjoining ends and having opposing free ends, (b) aclamp support plate fitted between the free ends of the limbs of theyoke member, releasable interengaging connecting means between saidclamping support plate and the free ends of the limbs of the yokemember, (d) a pressure plate mounted for reciprocation between andorthogonal to the limbs of the yoke member and disposed inwardly of theclamp support plate, (e) a pressure plate reciprocating stem mounted inthreaded engagement in the clamp support a 4 plate and in rotatableengagement at one end thereof with the pressure plate and having anoutwardly projecting end portion provided with engaging means, (f) atubular support member having a resilient end portion in latchingengagement with the clamp'support plate (g) a rotatable pressure plateactuating member slidably and rotatably mounted in the tubular supportmember and having an end portion provided with engaging'meanscomplementary to and engageable with the engaging means on theoutwardlyprojecting end portion of the pressure plate reciprocating stem forrotation thereof, (h) a sleeve member slidably mounted on the tubularsupport member for urging the resilient end portion of the supportmember into latching engagement with the clamp support plate, (i)disengageable lock means for selectively preventing movement of thepressure plate actuating member in the tubular member, (j) disengageablelock means for selectively preventing movement of the sleeve member onthe 'tubular support member, the improvement comprising parallelrearwardly extending flanges extending from opposite sides of thepressure plate to prevent rotation thereof during assembly of the yokemember therewith, said flanges overlyingvthe support plate when thepressure plate is in a retracted, pre-operative position whereby thefree ends of the limbs of the yoke member have interference-freeengagement with the support plate.

2. In an instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free endsof thelimbs of the yoke member include flared end portions to facilitateassembly thereof with the support plate.

1. In an instrument for use in the treatment of intracranial aneurysmsand other vascular disorders including (a) a substantially U-shaped yokemember having a pair of parallel laterally spaced apart limbs connectedat one of their adjoining ends and having opposing free ends, (b) aclamp support plate fitted between the free ends of the limbs of theyoke member, (c) releasable interengaging connecting means between saidclamping support plate and the free ends of the limbs of the yokemember, (d) a pressure plate mounted for reciprocation between andorthogonal to the limbs of the yoke member and disposed inwardly of theclamp support plate, (e) a pressure plate reciprocating stem mounted inthreaded engagement in the clamp support plate and in rotatableengagement at one end thereof with the pressure plate and having anoutwardly projecting end portion provided with engaging means, (f) atubular support member having a resilient end portion in latchingengagement with the clamp support plate (g) a rotatable pressure plateactuating member slidably and rotatably mounted in the tubular supportmember and having an end portion provided with engaging meanscomplementary to and engageable with the engaging means on the outwardlyprojecting end portion of the pressure plate reciprocating stem forrotation thereof, (h) a sleeve member slidably mounted on the tubularsupport member for urging the resilient end portion of the supportmember into latching engagement with the clamp support plate, (i)disengageable lock means for selectively preventing movement of thepressure plate actuating member in the tubular member, (j) disengageablelock means for selectively preventing movement of the sleeve member onthe tubular support member, the improvement comprising parallelrearwardly extending flanges extending from opposite sides of thepressure plate to prevent rotation thereof during assembly of the yokemember therewith, said flanges overlying the support plate when thepressure plate is in a retracted, pre-operative position whereby thefree ends of the limbs of the yoke member have interferencefreeengagement with the support plate.
 2. In an instrument as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member includeflared end portions to facilitate assembly thereof with the supportplate.